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CSTE Hill Update: August 2022

Posted By Meg Riley, Vice President and Noah Hammes, Policy Associate, CRD Associates, Monday, August 15, 2022
Updated: Friday, August 12, 2022

 

 

Federal Funding Update

CSTE was pleased to report earlier this year that Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 funding for the Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reached $100 million, a doubling in funding compared to FY 2021. This investment was made after two continuing resolutions and bill passage one day before a deadline that would have led to a government shutdown. With the many competing budgetary priorities across the federal government, we were thrilled to see a substantial increase for DMI. However, further robust and sustained investment is necessary to transform our public health data infrastructure. With our advocacy for FY 2023 funding, we are continuing our efforts to see that through.

For FY 2023, CSTE and partners in the Data: Elemental to Health campaign are calling for $250 million for DMI to help transform our public health data systems. At the start of the FY 2023 federal appropriations process, the president’s annual budget proposed $200 million for DMI, another potential doubling in funding. CSTE’s advocacy then led to proposed funding increases for DMI within the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS-Ed) appropriations bills released in both chambers of Congress. The House Appropriations Committee bill allocates $250 million, a $150 million increase over FY 2022, while the draft Senate Appropriations Committee bill provides $200 million, in line with the president’s budget.

While these numbers are promising, neither the House nor the Senate have passed a LHHS-Ed bill, and the likelihood of passage prior to the end of FY 2022 appears slim. The House Appropriations Committee approved its LHHS-Ed appropriations bill on June 30, but the full House did not pass the legislation before adjourning for August recess. In the Senate, Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) released a chairman’s mark of the bill, but the committee is unlikely to pass any individual appropriations bills this fall.

With FY 2022 funding set to expire on September 30, 2022, and the November mid-term elections approaching, congressional leaders have yet to come to an agreement on overall spending levels. If Congress cannot reach an agreement on FY 2023 spending next month, at least one continuing resolution to extend current funding is imminent. Continuing resolutions can lead to stagnant funding, which can damage the ability of key programs like DMI to continue their work. While we do not anticipate an LHHS-Ed appropriations bill will be enacted on its own, CSTE will continue to advocate for Congress to come to a bipartisan agreement on overall funding that provides increased annual resources for DMI as a first step towards sustainable long-term investment.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear to legislators on both sides of the aisle that public health surveillance and analytics are essential in preventing and mitigating disease risk, and sustained federal investment is necessary for these processes to be most effective. In addition to seeking funding through the annual appropriations process, CSTE continues to call for a dedicated investment of at least $7.84 billion dollars over five years, which Data: Elemental to Health estimates is the minimal investment needed to truly transform our public health data systems. The resources we fight for will ensure state, local, tribal, and territorial public health agencies have the means to implement a more effective and sustainable data infrastructure.

Meghan Riley is vice president and Noah Hames is policy associate at Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, LLC, which represents CSTE’s interests on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC

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